The University of Lugano, Switzerland, in association with the Locarno International Film Festival, organises for the fourth year running a Summer School on the analysis of films and audiovisual products. The 2004 edition, scheduled to take place in Locarno from 1st to 7th August, will focus specifically on the documentary film and its implications with journalistic issues.

Cinema has challenged journalism in two ways. On the one hand it has often depicted events involving journalists: from The Big Carnival (Billy Wilder, 1951) to All the President’s Men (Alan J. Pakula, 1976) journalism may be seen as an epic told by cinema. On the other, cinema has often been a journalistic instrument. Indeed, from Tierra sin pan (Luis Buñuel, 1932) to The Salt of the Earth (Herbert Bibermann, 1954), hard and complex realities have been investigated and brought to light through this medium. In which way has the documentary film embodied a journalistic vocation in cinema? How did it evolve, faced with the need to explore reality? How did it interpret the idea of information? This year’s Summer School will try to answer these questions, crossing two parallel paths. Attention will focus on the language of this genre (journalistic documentary), its historical evolution, its theoretical articulations, and its ability to enhance the credibility of images. At the same time, to better understand how to inform with images, we will explore the different imagery and styles of the informational documentary, as well as its productive constraints and political implications.

Applications are to be submitted by Friday, 2 July, 2004 using our web-based application form www.fss.unisi.ch.

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